Adjustable supports for gymnastic apparatus



July 2. 1968 L. SOLIN 3,390,855

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTS FOR GYMNASTIC APPARATUS Filed April 15, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet l l/Vl/E'NTUR Lawrence Solin Sparrow and Sparrow ATTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-$heet 2 I nwslvmn. Lawrence Solin by Sparrow and SparrowATTORNEYS.

July 2, 1968 1.. SOLIN ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTS FOR GYMNASTIC APPARATUS 7Filed April 15. 1966 a B E U pm. M

United States Patent 3,390,855 ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTS FOR GYMNASTICAPPARATUS Lawrence Solin, 16 Dell Drive, Eastchester, NY. 10709 FiledApr. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 542,864 Claims. (Cl. 248188.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Adjustable post-s on gymnastic apparatus withslidingly fitted telescoping members in the posts; a separate sleevebetween the post and the telescoping member with safety fingers holdingthe telescoping member in the desired position and a screw nut forcingthe fingers into the holding position.

Background of the invention This invention relates to gymnasticapparatus in general, and to adjustable supports therefor, inparticular.

Gymnastic apparatus are usually made adjustable in height to accommodatevarious heights of users, or with relation to certain exercises forwhich the apparatus may be used. Various important requirements have tobe met concerning the means for adjusting the height of the apparatus.These requirements comprise not only the actual parts and members forthe adjustment, but also the safety devices for holding the supports inthe adjusted height. Such devices usually consisted of pins or screwswhich had to be positioned in holes in the supports or of external splitclamps or the like. These means were not always too safe. This inventionintends to improve this situation.

This invention pertains to such means and consists in such novelfeatures, constructions, arrangements, combinations of parts andimprovements as may be shown and described in connection with theapparatus herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative ofa preferred embodiment. The invention pertains more specifically tosimple means for permitting an easy operation of the height adjustmentby which the safety of the adjusted height is automatically enforced.

Summary Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth inpart hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learnedby practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in theappended claims.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel means foradjusting the height of gymnastic apparatus.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means for safelylocking the supports of the gymnastic apparatus after they have beenadjusted.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide meansfor making the height adjustments easily, quickly and conveniently.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for carryingout such height adjustments which are simple, sturdy and reliable touse.

Various further and more specific purposes, features and advantages willclearly appear from the detailed description given below taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings which form part of thisspecification and illustrate merely by way of example one embodiment ofthe device of the invention. In the following description and in theclaims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, butsuch names are intended to be as generic in their application to similarparts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote likeparts in the several figures of the drawings, in which:

3,390,855 Patented July 2, 1968 "ice FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are perspectiveviews of various types of gymnastic equipment with adjustable supportsaccordingto the invention;

FIG. 4 shows height-adjustable supports incorporated in the variousequipment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is an axial section of one of the adjustable supports shown inFIG. 4, partly broken away;

FIG. 6 is a view of the inner locking sleeve of the height-adjustingmechanism;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the sleeve shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a detail section of the axial section shown in FIG. 5, brokenaway, in an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 9 is another detail section, broken away, of the locking device inan enlarged scale.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings illustrating a preferredembodiment by which the invention may be realized, and its application,there is shown in FIG. 1 parallel bars apparatus 11, in FIG. 2 balancingbeam 12 and in FIG. 3 a vaulting horse apparatus 13, all of which arewell-known gymnastic apparatus. Common to all these apparatus areheight-adjustable supports 15 mounted on bases 14. Obviously, thesesupports have to be made in such a manner that they hold and supportfirmly and sturdily the apparatus in desired position so that theseapparatus may be safely used. FIG. 5 shows in axial section one of theseadjustable supports. Mounted on base 14 in a sturdy socket 16 is astationary tubular part or member 17 made preferably of steel or otherstrong metallic material, which is held in socket 16 by a plurality ofset screws 18. The upper end 19 of tubular member 17 is externallythreaded. A sleeve 20 is fitted into upper end 19, and a telescopingtubing or tubular member 21 slidingly fits in the inner bore 22 ofsleeve 20. Telescoping tubing 21 supports the gymnastic bars, beams,etc.

Tubular member 21 is provided with a plurality of notch-like circulargrooves 23, spaced in regular increments, into which grooves a pluralityof pawls 24 may be engaged. Pawls 24 are hingedly attached to the upperring-shaped part 25 of sleeve 20 so that they point upwardly from sleeve20. The pawls 24 can swing inwardly and outwardly about a pin 26 whichserves as a hinge. Each pawl 24 has a groove 27 on the outside of thelower end thereof, and a spiral tension garter spring 28 is laid aroundsleeve 20, engaging grooves 27 of all pawls 24. Garter spring 28 urgesthe upper ends 29 of the pawls 24 outwardly. A set screw 30 is locatedon sleeve 20, which engages a corresponding notch 31 on upper end 19 oftubular member 17, in order to prevent sleeve 20 from rotating. Sleeve20 further has a ring-shaped abutment 32 by which it rests firmly on topof upper end 19 of member 17.

Fitted over tubular member 17 and telescoping tubular member 21 is asleeve-like nut 33 which is internally threaded on its lower end 34 forengaging threaded upper end 19 of member 17. Sleeve-like nut 33 has arecessed bore 35 accommodating the free movements of pawls 24. The upperpart of bore 35 is substantially in the shape of a tapered cone 36. Byscrewing nut 33 downwardly, tapered cone 36 will engage upper ends 29 ofpawls 24, forcing them inwardly against the tension of garter spring 28for firmly engaging upper ends 29 of pawls 24 into circular grooves 23.This is illustrated in detail in FIG. 8.

On the outside of sleeve-like nut 33 is a recess 27 in which a handle 38is hingedly connected by a pin 39, so that handle 38 may be swungoutwardly for facilitating the operation of nut 33.

The operation is quite simply and conveniently performed. By unscewingnut 33 counterclockwise, pawls 24 become free, garter spring 28 pullsends 29 of pawls 24 outwardly out of groove 23, thus setting telescopingmember 23 free to be moved upwardly or downwardly, as the case may be.When the desired height of the equipment has been attained, merelyscrewing nut 33 down clockwise will cause upper ends 29 of pawls 24 toengage corresponding groove 23, firmly and safely securing member 17 inthe new position at the same time.

From the foregoing it is evident that there has been provided herein aheight-adjustable support for gymnastic apparatus having a base 14,sockets 16 mounted on base 14 and a stationary tubular member 17 held ineach one of the sockets 16, member 17 having an externally threadedupper end 19, provision of a sleeve 20 fitted into said upper end ofmember 17, a ring-shaped abutment 25 on sleeve 20, abutment 25 restingon top of said upper end of member 17, a telescoping tubular member 21slidingly fitted into sleeve 20, member 21 having a plurality ofnotch-like ring-shaped grooves 23 spaced apart in regular increments, aplurality of upwardly directed springloaded pawls 24 hingedly attachedto sleeve 20, pawls 24 having upper ends for engaging the notch-likegrooves 23 of member 21, a sleeve-like nut 33 fitted over telescopingtubular member 21, nut 33 having an internally threaded lower end 34threadingly engaging said externally threaded upper end of saidstationary tubular member 17, nut 33 having an internal tapered orconical recess 36, pawls 24 being engaged by recess 36 for urging saidupper ends of pawls 24 into seating position in one of the grooves 23 ofmember 21, and means, such as handle 38 swingingly mounted on nut 33,for rotating the nut.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to acertain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principleof the invention, that various other changes and modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, andit is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all suchchanges and modifications.

I claim:

1. In height-adjustable support for gymnasic apparatus having a base,sockets mounted on said base and a stationary tubular member held ineach one of said sockets, said member having an externally-threadedupper end: a sleeve fitted into said upper end of said member, saidsleeve having first means supported on said upper end, a telescopingtubular member slidingly fitted into said sleeve, said telescopingtubular member having a plurality of notches, second means on saidsleeve for engaging said notches, and a sleeve-like nut encompassingsaid telescoping tubular member, said nut adapted to threadingly engagesaid upper end, and said nut having an internal substantiallycone-shaped recess, said second means being urged by said recess intoengagement with said notches upon rotation of said nut.

2. In height-adjustable support for gymnastic apparatus according toclaim 1, and spring means on said sleeve, said spring means beingarranged for retracting said second means out of said engagement withsaid notches upon counter-rotation of said nut.

3. In height-adjustable support having a base, a socket mounted on saidbase and a stationary tubular member held in said socket, said memberhaving an extemallythreaded upper end: a sleeve fitted into said upperend of said member, an annular abutment on said sleeve, said abutmentbeing disposed over said upper end of said member, a telescoping tubularmember slidingly engaging said sleeve, said telescoping tubular memberhaving a plurality of notched grooves spaced apart in regularincrements, a plurality of upwardly-directed spring-loaded pawlshingedly attached to said sleeve, the upper ends of said pawls beingadapted for engaging said grooves, an internally-threaded nut fittedover said telescoping tubular member engaging the threads of saidstationary tubular member, said nut having a substantially taperedrecess, said pawls being engaged by said recess for urging said pawlsinto seating position in one of said grooves, and means for rotatingsaid nut.

4. In height-adjustable support according to claim 3, and wherein saidnotched grooves are ring-shaped, said nut is intemally-threaded at itslower end and engages the said externally-threaded upper end of thestationary tubular member, and said tapered recess is conical.

5. In height-adjustable support according to claim 3, and wherein saidmeans for rotating said nut comprises a handle swingably mounted on saidnut.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 768,452 8/1904 Hennessy 28758 X1,041,701 10/1912 Thornley 248-408 X 1,327,611 1/1920 Burns 287581,357,825 11/1920 Shaw 248-408 2,804,278 8/1957 Jewett 248411 X2,902,592 9/1959 Cole 248-411 X CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

